There exists an ever growing need in the aviation industry to increase aircraft efficiencies and reduce the amount of fossil fuels consumed. Winglets have been designed and installed on many aircraft including large multi-passenger aircrafts to increase efficiency, performance, and aesthetics. Such winglets usually consist of a horizontal body portion that may attach to the end of a wing and an angled portion that may extend perpendicularly from the horizontal body portion. For example, a winglet may be attached to a pre-existing wing of an aircraft to increase flight efficiency, aircraft performance, or even to improve the aesthetics of the aircraft.
However, the cost to install a winglet on an aircraft is often prohibitive due to the requirement to engineer and certify the wing after the wing is installed. Thus, aftermarket installation of winglets has generally been reserved for large aircrafts owned and operated by large aircraft companies.
Existing winglets have limited utility, in that each winglet must be designed and certified for a specific wing of a specific aircraft model. Additionally, existing winglets, which are fixed, are unable to adapt to changes in in-flight conditions. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved aircraft winglets.